Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB

2016 · Acquisition/Merger · $520M · Complete

WRONG BY 38 POINTS

A $520M-headline biobucks deal for a single IL-8 antibody that never left Phase 1/2 and never hit an endpoint in nine years

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The coverage arc

Aug 23, 2012 Manufacturing Chemist Neutral

Original 2012 Genmab-to-Cormorant exclusive license agreement that brought HuMax-IL8 into Cormorant's pipeline, creating the asset BMS later acquired in the…

Jul 06, 2016 Pharma Manufacturing Neutral

Pharma Manufacturing emphasized the heavily back-loaded structure ($95M upfront vs $425M milestones), characteristic of early-clinical IO assets where buyers…

Jul 11, 2016 Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) Neutral

C&EN traced the asset's pedigree: Genmab licensed HuMax-IL8 to Cormorant in 2012; Genmab originally obtained it from Medarex (which BMS acquired for $2.4B in…

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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BMS acquired Stockholm-based Cormorant Pharmaceuticals for up to $520M (undisclosed upfront cash plus contingent milestones tied to pipeline progression). Gained full rights to HuMax-IL8, an early-to-mid-stage anti-IL-8 antibody in development as a single agent and in combination with other immuno-oncology drugs. Genmab originally licensed HuMax-IL8 to Cormorant.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

A $520M-headline biobucks deal for a single IL-8 antibody that never left Phase 1/2 and never hit an endpoint in nine years

Strategic verdict
Failed to Achieve
Financial impact
Neutral
Pipeline outcome
Mixed

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB (this deal)2016$520M25
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Medarex Inc.2009$2.4B92
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Celgene Corporation2019$74.0B77
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / MyoKardia Inc.2020$13.1B76
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Karuna Therapeutics2023$14.0B76
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.201176
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / SystImmune Inc.2023$8.4B71

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